Techno-Glam: the intersection and incorporation of technology and glamour into the various activities and states of being that travelers encounter during their stay at a hotel. This concept is carried through the design of every space in the W Atlanta Midtown Hotel from the public spaces and meeting rooms, to all 500 guestrooms and the 3rd party bar.

The public spaces were designed to accent the hotel’s transition from day to night, and to enhance the roles of spectator and performer in the public arena.

After entering through a tunnel of perforated metal and images of ivy, the traveler stands underneath a sphere of 270 cast glass pendants. Each piece is internally lit with an LED light, allowing the “media ball” to illuminate in a variety of colors & patterns.

In the check-in area, freestanding pods serve as check-in desks, while a warm wood wall comes alive with backlit projections.

The living room seamlessly shifts from morning breakfast bar to casual working lounge to comfortable evening bar. Custom furniture includes large oval hammocks nestled against full-sized windows overlooking the terrace, a reference to the Atlanta porch swing. Tree graphics float above in ceiling cutouts; when darkness falls, the panels illuminate.

In the heart of the lobby lies a two-story egg-shaped structure with seating nooks and grand stairs leading up to the second level. A 50-foot long veil arcs overhead; guests step through a parting of the veil slats as they ascend. Some nights, projected images dance across the front of the veil, further activating the lobby.

The event spaces include a ballroom with 2400 sq ft of custom chandelier fixtures, a top-floor boardroom, and fourteen meeting rooms accented with hexagonal colored mirrors.

The guestroom was designed to feel like a sensual retreat and also a place to connect. By orienting the beds towards the floor-to-ceiling window, we changed the focus of the room from the walls to the city and landscape beyond so that guests wake in direct contemplation of the ever-changing light and views. The chaise lounges in the rooms and the ribbon-like porch swing in the E-wow suite offer a place to reflect and relax.

The guestroom also allows the traveler to connect to one’s sense of self. The rituals of bathing, sleeping, dressing and grooming become glamorous and indulgent. The designers at ICRAVE created a dressing room and imbued it with a sense of luxury and romance. The tubs and Jacuzzis were placed in a central position for viewing - the room, the scenery, the DVD on the television – and also being viewed.

The guestroom is also a place where the traveler can connect to technology. Today’s traveler needs the space and freedom to work and connect in different ways, and glamour is found when we can make these shifts between different functions fluid and effortless. Docking a laptop at the desk and having space to work while your companion enjoys breakfast on the chaise, conducting an informal team meeting in the lounge, while your Powerpoint runs on the 33” flatscreen, being able to dim and adjust light levels to set the right mood for different times of the day. By making these shifts invisible, we make them luxuries.